Sanyo Roborior

by Anita

Perhaps a “guard dog” that looks like a futuristic art piece will be the next craze. Sanyo has announced that their “Roborior” will be released in Japan in November or December of 2005.

This uniquely shaped home protection robot was designed by British artist Paul White and will not only protect your home from intruders but will also give you a wonderful conversation piece. This decorative home protection system comes on wheels and glows in hues of purple, blue and orange.

The technology behind this system is a digital camera, infrared sensors and videophone capability that will notify you of any intruders to your home while you are away.
This home protection robot can connect to the home owner’s mobile phone and relay streaming video that is taken by the robot digital camera. It can also be remote-controlled to go forward, backward, left or right with an easy to use handset. Buttons on the handset also make it possible to angle the camera to look up or down.

When Roborior is set to the “house sitting mode” it will call the home owner on their cell if an intruder is detected by its infrared sensors and will monitor all sides.

It is also compatible with the third-generation videophone from Japan’s top mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo and can connect to your television so you can see your callers face on your television. It even has its own built in electronic music that will signal incoming call and respond to remote control commands.

As stated by the official in charge of Roborior, Yuji Kawakubo, “This is a robot that can actually be used in people’s home,” and when discussing the unique design he commented “It is inspired by jellyfish, a type of living creature that communicates through light.”

Not only will the Roborior be a great home protector but it will give working parents a way of keeping their eye on children while they are at work. The price for this unique robot is around $2,700USD, but the sad part is they have not mentioned any plans for shipments overseas at this time.